The present invention relates to plates used in a barbecue grill for preventing fire flare-ups; and more particularly, to such grill plates having adjustable lengths.
A prior art product known as the "Flare-Up Tamers," commercially available from Vance Industries, Inc., includes fixed-length, longitudinal metal plates that are folded longitudinally through the center-line thereof at an angle of approximately 120.degree.. These plates are adapted to be placed concave-side-down in a side-by-side fashion along the "rock grate" of a barbecue grill (in place of the lava rock, volcanic rock or grill tiles commonly provided on the rock grate), which is in turn positioned over the gag burners. The grill plates arc adapted to become heated by the gas burners and vaporize the meat juices dripping down from the meat positioned on the cooking surface thereabove; thereby, reducing flare-ups caused by the ignition of such juices. Furthermore, some of the vapors produced by such vaporization of the meat juices will rise back into the food being cooked on the cooking surface; thereby, improving the flavor of such foods.
A disadvantage with the prior art grill plates is that not every natural gas or propane barbecue grill is made such that the burner unit is covered by a metal structure such as rock grate, which can receive the grill plates thereon. Accordingly, there is a need for a grill plate that can be used with barbecue grills that do not have grates positioned over the burners to seat the grill plates thereon.